National cuisine of Namibia surprises with its originality and diversity, even despite the fact that for centuries it has developed in the most severe shortage of water and food.
With the arrival of the colonialists, the assortment of national dishes of Namibia has significantly expanded, and the influence of South Africa has even more embellished it. A variety of local cuisine consists of meat dishes, the choice of which is simply huge. Namibian restaurateurs offer a lot of European food and even fast food, but recently they began to add authentic dishes to the menu, which allows tourists to try local delicacies.
Traditional dishes of Namibia
For cooking meat dishes, cooks use lamb and beef, crocodile, ostrich, antelope, zebra, other wild birds and animals. List of main dishes in the kitchen of Namibia:
- Maize, or corn porridge - food number 1 in Namibia, it is served almost to any dish, and often as an independent dish. The larger the grinding is called the sample, the smaller the papa.
- Skewers of crocodile - juicy, tender and very tasty. The meat is marinated with olive oil, garlic, red pepper, spices and served with Satay sauce.
- Brajafleys (barbecue) - African shish kebab. Earlier it was just fried meat with corn porridge. Today the dishes have become more refined: pickled meat, kebabs or pork ribs, and the garnish is served with fried mushrooms, vegetables and bread with greens.
- Droevors and landyager - solid sausages with spices with a unique taste. The first are sun-dried sausages with coriander, and the second - smoked sausages from a mixture of beef and pork minced meat. They are mainly cooked on a barbecue and served with beer.
- Poikikos - stewed large pieces of meat with spices. For cooking poikikosa use game meat, beef or lamb, and stew with vegetables on an open fire. The taste is very unusual due to the unique mixture of spices and nuts.
- Boboti is a meat casserole made from minced meat with added dried fruits, nuts and spices. It turns out a very tasty and satisfying dish, something reminiscent of pilaf.
- Biltong or beltong is a South African variety of jerky with spices, more often it is beef meat, but it is also cooked from game. This is a great snack for beer, wine or just a delicacy.
- Rauschleich is smoke-smoked meat, an excellent appetizer with a unique aroma. Any meat can be used for cooking it.
- Umngkusho is a stew made from crushed corn kernels, butter, sweet beans, potatoes, onions, red pepper and lemon.
- Shakalaka is a very sharp vegetable salad that is consumed both cold and hot, or as a barbecue sauce. The salad contains cabbage, tomatoes, carrots, beans, peas, ginger, garlic, coriander and chili.
- Cameroon curry with couscous is an amazing and very satisfying dish, which is in great demand in Namibia. Can be prepared with or without meat. The main ingredients are wheat porridge, curry, cashews and herbs.
- Game, fried on coals - there it was necessary to choose only, that exactly it would be desirable to try, from meat of a zebra or an antelope up to a strass of an ostrich. In any case, it will be tasty and unusual. No less than sausage from antelope meat.
- Seafood - the freshest and for every taste. Gifts of the oceans and seas can be tried in almost any restaurant or cafe. You will be offered squid, oysters, mussels, lobsters, shrimps, as well as all kinds of fish.
Drinks and desserts in Namibia
The most traditional drink in Namibia is the local ginger beer of varieties Windhoek and "Tafel", also produced a lot of home beer with a very good reputation. From the vineyards of Namibia, you get the delicious wine "Columbabre" and "Cabernet". To taste, many will have the Namibian grappa "Crystal-Kellerai". You can also try a more exotic watermelon wine - mataku. For drinkers stronger it is recommended to try palm moonshine for a holiday. Alcoholic beverages and beer are sold only in special stores on all days except weekends, and only to persons from 18 years of age.
Desserts from apples are very popular. Here, even every year there is a contest for the best recipe, and a dessert-winner is included in the menu of luxury hotels in Windhoek . In the capital of Namibia produce very delicious chocolate "Springer".
The most unusual food of Namibia
About the national and traditional cuisine is told a lot, but the cuisine of Namibia can surprise its guests with very peculiar dishes. Here is a short list:
- toad-bull is considered a delicious dish, Namibians eat all parts of the frog, except for internal organs. Danger conceals a frog skin, containing a poison dangerous to the human liver;
- mashonzh - this cooked caterpillar mashonzha with the addition of red pepper. If you risk trying this dish, ask the cook to add a little peanut. It turns out an interesting taste, although the caterpillars themselves are slightly sinewy;
- worms mopane , grilled in palm oil - one of Nelson Mandela's favorite dishes;
- fried locusts - crispy, like chips, local very fond of this dish, and it is believed that it is rich in proteins;
- Termite eggs - are steamed in banana leaves with the addition of minced pork and spices. Another option is simply fried termites with salt.
The cuisine of Namibia is fresh, simple, healthy and African energetic. There are no jellies, jellies and jewelry dishes. But what only one should eat shish kebab in the open air, listening to the crackling of the fire and looking at the beautiful African sunset!